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The following information has been tailored for traditional undergraduate students and their families.

To speak with an academic advisor, please stop by the Student Success Center in Huber Hall or call us at (716) 880-2227.

Advanced Placement & Transfer Credit

Advanced Placement/College Level Credit

High school students may earn Medaille College credit by taking college-level courses in their high schools. A formal examination at the completion of the course is required with scoring processed through the College Board (see Academic Catalog). If a student has taken any Advanced Placement (A.P.) classes or any other college level courses during high school, he/she will need to make sure final transcripts from his/her high school and the college granting the credit are sent to the Admissions Office at Medaille. The Admissions Office will then forward them to the Registrar’s Office for review and evaluation.

Transfer Credit

What is the procedure to transfer credit to Medaille from another institution?

If a student is planning to take a course at another institution, he/she should contact the Registrar’s Office for the proper guidelines. A student should receive approval from the Registrar’s Office in advance of taking the course. A course description from the other institution needs to be provided when making the request. It is also important to review your plan with an academic advisor before completing the course.

Please Note: A student must earn his/her final 30 credits at Medaille if enrolled in a bachelor's degree program and his/her final 15 credits at Medaille if enrolled in an associate’s degree program (see Academic Catalog).

Resources for Undeclared Students

As a freshman, you might not be sure which program of study matches your interests and abilities.

Instead of declaring a major immediately, you may remain “undeclared” for several semesters. You may declare a major program of study anytime; however, you must declare it before you complete 48 credit hours (see Academic Catalog).

Students who are undeclared have the opportunity to explore courses in various majors and take advantage of interest inventories and other help available from a career counselor. Medaille's Career Planning and Placement Center has a range of services that are available to help students clarify their interests and skills and learn about career options and employment opportunities.

It is also important to speak with faculty regarding your interests. Your advisor can refer you to the appropriate department/faculty person at any time.

In order to declare a major, a student must fill out a change of status form with an advisor.

Academic Advisement Procedures

What is Academic Advising?Each student matriculating at Medaille is assigned an academic advisor who will assist the student in developing realistic educational, career and life goals. Each student is required to meet with his/her advisor on a regular basis to make their class schedules and discuss their progress. Questions regarding schedule changes, academic policies, and program requirements should also be directed to the counselors in the Center.

Who is my advisor?Every Medaille College student is assigned an advisement counselor upon acceptance to the college. Students are notified of their advisor assignment within the first two weeks of their first semester. Advisement Counselors are available both day and evening hours on weekdays to provide a wide variety of academic advisement services to meet the varied needs of all students. Advisement counselors work with students from freshman to senior year. If a student does not know who his/her advisor is, the assignment can be found in MedailleOne, the Advisement Center webpage (Who is my advisor?) or in the Academic Advisement Center.

What is the advisor's role?Advisor Responsibilities:

To assist students in developing an academic plan that satisfies graduation requirements;

To monitor students' progress and help students make appropriate program adaptations;

To discuss academic, career and life goals with advisees;

To become personally acquainted with advisees;

To refer advisees when needed to appropriate services;

To provide information related to College programs, services and policies;

To inform advisees of changes in their course of study;

To maintain regular and adequate office hours;

To collect and distribute student data as needed.

What is the advisee's role?Advisee Responsibilities:

To meet regularly with advisor to work through academic, career and life goals;

To make use of appropriate campus and community services to meet goals;

Developing Your Schedule/Registering For Classes

How does a student select courses and plan a schedule?When developing a schedule, a student should:

Use a program evaluation sheet as a guide. The program evaluation sheet lists all of the degree requirements. If a student does not have a copy of their evaluation, a copy can be provided in the Academic Advisement Center.

Example: You must complete ENG 110 (College Writing) before you can take ENG 200 (Advanced College Writing).

Choose courses from the Course Schedule. A student should make a list of courses and times that are convenient for them and write down any other questions he/she may have for their advisor.

Make an appointment with an academic advisor to discuss a schedule. A student will not be able to register for his/her classes until they have seen an advisor.

How many credits should I register for?Most students take five courses and 15-16 credits per semester. Those who wish to be full-time students must register for a minimum of 12 credits per semester. Students are usually limited to 18 credits per semester, unless they are given special permission to do more.

Why do most Education students register for 18 credits each semester?Typically, most degrees require 120 credit hours. An Education degree requires additional credits. Therefore, students must complete 18 credits each semester, in order to stay on track to graduate in four years.

What is the registration process?Registration occurs for returning students in October/November for the spring semester and March/April for the summer/fall semesters during the dates advertised. The Course Schedule is available via the Medaille College web site prior to the start of student advisement. All students must meet with an academic advisor to discuss the upcoming schedule and register for classes. Students with absolute holds will be unable to process their registration until the hold is removed by the office where the hold has been placed.

Making Changes: Schedule, Course Load, Major or Minor

How do I make changes to my schedule (drop/add courses)?A student must drop or add courses within any particular semester before the drop/add deadline, listed in the Academic Calendar. Students are required to fill out a drop/add worksheet with his/her advisor and process the worksheet in the Advisement Center. Please note: Students must have approval from an academic advisor, in order to drop/add a course or make a changes to a schedule.

How do I withdraw from a course?In order to withdraw from a course after the drop/add period, a student must complete a Course Withdrawal form with an academic advisor. The completed form must be handed in to the Registrar's Office. A student must withdraw from a course before the withdrawal deadline, listed in the Academic Calendar. A grade of "W" appears on the transcript for an official withdrawal. A course withdrawal may affect tuition and financial aid (students should direct questions to Student Accounts and Financial Aid office).

Please note: Nonattendance does not constitute a withdrawal from a course.

How can I declare or change my major?In order to declare or change a major, a student must fill out a change of status form with an advisor. If a student is undeclared, he/she must declare a major program upon completing 48 credit hours. The academic majors are listed in the Academic Catalog.

How can I add/drop a minor?In order to add/drop a minor, a student must fill out a change of status form with an advisor. Academic minors are an option available to baccalaureate degree students. Students wishing to declare minors must do so by the beginning of their junior year (completion of 60 credit hours). The academic minors are listed in the Academic Catalog.

Class Standing and Academic Progress

How do I know what my class standing is?Class standing is determined by the number of semester hours a student has completed in his/her program of study. For sophomore standing, a student must have a minimum of 30 semester hours of accumulated credits; for junior standing, a minimum of 60 hours; for senior standing, a minimum of 90 hours (see Academic Catalog). A student should consult the Registrar's Office or Academic Advisement Center regarding any questions pertaining to class standing.

How do I know if I am in good academic standing?The College's Undergraduate Academic Standards Committee meets at the end of each semester to review all undergraduate students' academic progress. Freshmen with a cumulative grade point average of 1.70 or higher and sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher are defined as being in good academic standing (see Academic Catalog).

How do I know if I am not doing well in a class?At Medaille, many instructors submit academic warnings to students as an early-alert system. Academic warnings are given to students who are in danger of failing a course, due to low/failing grades and/or attendance issues. A student will usually receive an academic warning within the first half of the semester, via their Medaille email account. Students are asked to meet with their academic advisor to discuss possible issues that are contributing to underperformance in the course and practical strategies that will help improve the situation. Students are usually referred to their instructor, the Academic Support Center, tutoring and/or personal counseling.

* It is important for students to communicate with all of their instructors throughout the entire semester.

Study Abroad and Disney Internships

How do I study abroad or complete the Disney Internship program?If a student is interested in studying abroad or completing the Disney Internship program, he/she should make an appointment with the Director of Academic Advisement.

Applying For Graduation

How do I apply for graduation?A student must apply for graduation via the Registrar's Office. A pre-graduation review listing outstanding requirements will be mailed to all students who file a graduation application.